“Promise Zones” aim to get federal funding

State Senator Ben Hueso (D-CA, 40th District) and Mayor Kevin Faulconer are pushing a bill through the state legislature that would greatly assist California’s most under-served neighborhoods, including San Diego’s, in getting federal funding.

Friday’s press conference highlighted State Senator Ben Hueso’s legislation, Senate Bill 635, which was sponsored by the City of San Diego, and will provide state assistance to communities designated as federal “Promise Zones” in their efforts to receive critical federal revitalization resources, as well as provide priority consideration for eight state tax credits and programs that distribute funding to entities and projects located within both officially-designated Promise Zones and communities that applied to become a Promise Zones.

Mayor Faulconer and Erik Caldwell of the City of San Diego discussed the work being done in, and goals for, the San Diego Promise Zone, which was officially designated by the federal government in June 2016 as one of 22 nationwide Promise Zones, and comprises three of the City’s most economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

Supporter’s believe a child’s zip code should never determine that individual’s destiny; however, today, the community that a child grows up in impacts their odds of graduating high school, health outcomes, and lifetime economic opportunities. Promise Zones are some of the most high-poverty and economically-disadvantaged communities in our nation. This legislation will help facilitate increased economic activity and job growth, improved educational opportunities, enhanced public health, reductions in violent crime, and leveraging private investment to improve the quality of life in these vulnerable areas.

KUSI’s Ed Lenderman has the full report on the so called, “Promise Zones.”